Spain's Famous Bull-Running Festival Is Back With A Bang After 2-Year Hiatus | In Pics

Running of the Bulls Festival

The first bull run in three years took place on Thursday at the San Fermin festival in the Spanish city of Pamplona after the traditional 'chupinazo' firework was ignited. The festival was stopped due to the Coronavirus pandemic. (Image Source: AFP)

People run through the streets with bulls and steers during the first day of the running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona. Six bulls guided by six tame oxen charged through Pamplona’s streets for around two minutes and 35 seconds on Thursday. (Image Source: AFP)

Almost everyone in Pamplona wears the traditional white shirt and pants with red sash and neckerchief for the festival. After the bull run, the rest of day usually includes massive drinking, eating and attending cultural events. (Image Source: AFP)

Spectators watch the vull run from ther balconies. Several runners were stomped, trampled or shoved to the cobblestone pavement by the raging bulls. However, no one was gored. (Source: AFP)

The festival was made famous by Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel “The Sun Also Rises.” Before the pandemic made it impossible to hold in 2020 and 2021, the festival hadn’t been suspended since the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. (Image Source: AFP)

The bulls that run each morning are killed in the afternoon by professional bullfighters. Animal rights activists have campaigned against the slaughter of the animals. (Source: AFP)

Bullfights are still popular among segments of Spanish society and an integral part of the San Fermin festival. Spain’s strong vaccination program has allowed life to return to more or less normal. (Source: AFP)

Residents watch from balconies as participants run ahead of bulls. Expert bull runners, mostly locals, try to sprint at full steam just in the front of the bull horns before peeling off at the last second. (Image Source: AFP)